Next up: densities. I start by digging a hole in the grape skins, which have already risen since the punchdown. This explains why my hands look so dirty this time of year, with black cuticles and dingy skin: wine stains. I press the strainer into the hole, letting the juice seep up. I fill the pitcher, then pour the juice into the test tube and drop in the hydrometer. As the hydrometer drops, I blow off the bubbles and give the hydrometer a spin, waiting for it to settle so I can take the reading. Let’s see… It’s… I move the tube around this way and that, trying to catch enough light to see the tiny number. I eventually carry it over to the light, dripping all the way, so that I can see the reading. The same thing happens with the thermometer, as I try to catch sight of the red gauge in the dark. These early morning numbers are always somewhat approximate, but I duly note down my best guess in the wine-stained notebook. I move from the driest bin to the sweetest, until all the measurements are taken. As luck would have it, one of the lots has dropped under 1070, so I sprinkle on the yeast nutrients, climb onto the bin, and punch it down again.

Finally, I drag out frozen jugs to drop into the bins, to keep the fermentations from getting too hot during the day. I leverage the lids back up onto the bins, then I wash up the tools and instruments with cold water and head into the house. Time to start the day.

Berenjenas en escabeche

About 1 kilo (2 lbs) eggplant
Salt
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
Water
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
Dried oregano
Red pepper flakes (I used merquén chili powder)
6 bay leaves
Olive oil

Peel the eggplants and then cut them lengthwise into fairly thick slices. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt, stack neatly on a plate or rimmed tray (alternating directions, so that the layers crisscross), and weight them down, then leave them for a couple of hours so that the salt can extract the bitter juices. Rinse the eggplants very well under running water. (I use a lot of salt, so I have to make sure I get most of it off before I cook the eggplant.) Squeeze out any excess water. Cut the slices into strips–how you cut them will depend on the size of your eggplants, but I aim for something roughly the size of a slug. (The finished eggplant does, in fact, resemble slugs, but don’t let that put you off.)

In a medium-sized pot, combine the vinegar with 1  1/3 cups water (so you have two cups total liquid). Bring to a boil, then add the eggplant. If necessary, add a bit more water and vinegar to cover. Return to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, until the eggplant is tender and cooked through, but not mushy. Drain the eggplant and briefly rinse under cold water. Set out to drain for about an hour.

In a clean one-liter jar, pour a thin layer of olive oil. Begin layering the eggplant with garlic slices, oregano, and red pepper or chili powder. When the jar is about half full, slip the bay leaves vertically down the sides, so that they ring the eggplant in the jar (think Stonehenge). Finish layering in the eggplant, then pour in enough olive oil to just cover the eggplant. Close the jar and let sit at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate. The marinated eggplant will last at least a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. It is best served at room temperature.

Banana pudding

2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1  1/2 to 2 overripe bananas, mashed

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then blend in the milk and cream. Add just enough of the cream to the sugar mixture to make a smooth paste, then add the rest and whisk to blend. Heat to a simmer, stirring frequently at first  then constantly as it gets closer to the boil. (A heatproof spatula is best, so you can continuously scrape the bottom of the pan.) Continue to stir constantly for a couple of minutes until the pudding thickens. Add the vanilla and the mashed bananas, then transfer to individual ramekins. (I used one and a half fairly large bananas, which made enough pudding to just fill six half-cup ramekins.) Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the pudding, gently pressing it right onto the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Chill before serving.

So far, the fermentations have gone smoothly. The first weekend, the weather was still quite warm, so the must warmed up a little more quickly than we might have liked. We thus had three out of four bins rock through fermentation, with one moving through more slowly. The following week we had just the opposite: three cool fermentations and only one faster lot. So far this week, all the lots are quite cool thanks to a decisive turn in the seasonal temperatures, which will  slow the fermentations down considerably.

We had a great crew up on Saturday to press out a couple of the early bins and then crush the newly received fruit. Everyone worked hard, and the day’s tasks flowed smoothly. We shared some wonderful meals and more than a few bottles of fine wine. It was a lovely holiday weekend.

Summer is segueing into fall in Chile, and as the days grow shorter and cooler, my thoughts turn to soup. Tomatoes are at their peak now, so this is always one of the first soups I make each year. I have changed the recipe slightly. First, I never serve it en croute. Frozen puff pastry is not available here (and I don’t intend to make it just for this soup); I don’t have oven-proof bowls; and I much prefer homemade bread or a crusty baguette over puff pastry. Second, the original recipe calls for all heavy cream, which is just way too rich for my current taste and cholesterol level. Over the years, I’ve gradually replaced some of the cream with milk and now use just one cup cream and two cups of milk, though half and half is also good. Finally, the original recipe calls for a pinch of dried thyme, but I prefer fresh thyme, of which I have plenty in my herb garden. Otherwise, it’s pretty much true to the original.

Cream of tomato soup

3 pounds (1  1/2 kilos) fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 pound (450 grams) yellow onions, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf (fresh is best)
1 small sprig fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
Additional thyme for garnish

Melt the butter in a large soup pot, then add the onions and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook slowly, uncovered, for  an hour and a half. Remove the bay leaf and the stalk from the thyme, then puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Strain. (This takes some effort—I generally stir the soup in the strainer and gently tap it on the bowl to help the liquid pass through faster.) (I have occasionally made the soup without straining, but it really is better strained.) Return the soup to the pot, stir in the cream, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with a sprinkling of thyme leaves.

And that brings us to the present moment: the calm before the storm. We’ve settled into the routines of the new school year, and we’ve made our preparations for harvest. The fermentation bins are ready to go, the new barrels will be arriving soon, the yeast and nutrients have been purchased, and the crusher-destemmer is lined up. Now we just have to wait for the grapes to peak. We’re planning to harvest the tempranillo in one week. The syrah will come in about a week or so behind that, followed by the cabernet. We’re also experimenting with a barrel’s worth of carmenère this year, to try out a new vineyard. But for now, we wait.

We then topped the pizza slices with homemade tomato sauce and extra mozzarella cheese. I used a total of about one cup of sauce, which gave the pie a nice texture, neither dry nor soggy. It did dominate the flavors, however, so if we do this again we’ll add more pizza toppings on top of the cheese.

Finally, we closed it with the top crust. First, brush the rim of the bottom crust with water, then roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie. Trim off the extra crust, so that it just fits over the pie pan. Next, flute the edges to seal the crust, placing your right index finger under the two crusts and your left index finger and thumb on the top, then press together to seal the two crusts together. Make steam vents by poking the crust all over with a fork or cutting in a few slits. Finally, bake the pie in a preheated oven (about 375 F) for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Now that’s a pizza pie!

Jambalaya

For the spice rub:

1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

For the jambalaya:

12 chicken wing drummettes
100 grams (3.5 ounces) bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1  1/3 cups Arborio rice (risotto)
1/2 cup white wine
1  1/2 cups chopped canned tomatoes, with juice
150 grams (5 ounces) ham, chopped
125 (4 ounces) cooked spicy sausage, chopped
3 cups chicken stock, heated to a simmer

Combine all the spices in the spice mix and rub on the chicken drummettes. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Refrigerate the chicken if you need to marinate it longer.)

Heat a 13-inch paella pan (or similar) and add the bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the fat is released and the bacon is crisp, being careful not to burn the grease. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and add the chicken. Brown well on all sides; remove to a plate.

Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and bay leaf to the pan, and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, sauté very briefly so as not to burn the garlic, then add add the wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that are still in the pan (the pan will have partially deglazed with the onions). Add the rice and cook, stirring, for a minute or so, until the rice begins to look translucent around the edges. Add the bacon to the rice mixture, along with the ham, sausage, and chopped tomatoes. Stir to mix well, then nestle the chicken pieces into the bed of rice. Carefully add all the stock. (In my paella pan, this quantity of rice and stock comes right up to the very edge of the pan.) Cook without stirring for about 20 minutes, until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked.

Note: to avoid burning, I place a flat stove-top toaster under the paella pan, so the pan is not directly on the heat.

Roast cauliflower and chicken soup

500 g (1 lb) boneless, skinelss chicken thighs
Stock (see below)
1 large cauliflower
Olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 leeks (white part, chopped)
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 – 4 tablespoons crème fraîche (or heavy cream)
1 cup grated pecorino cheese (about 50 grams)
4 cups chopped spinach
Chives and additional pecorino for garnish

For the stock:

Greens from the 2 leeks
1 small carrot
1 stalk celery
2 cloves garlic
3 pieces dried porcini mushroom
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper corns
6 cups water

Start by poaching the chicken: For the stock, roughy chop the vegetables, then combine everything with the water. Bring to a boil and add the chicken thighs, then simmer until the chicken is cooked through (about 15 minutes). Remove the chicken to a plate to cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Strain and reserve the stock.

Meanwhile, break the cauliflower into fairly small florets. Toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat and season lightly with salt. Roast in a preheated 350F oven for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven when the cauliflower is softened (but not mushy) and partially browned. Let cool. Separate out about 1  1/2 to 2 cups of the smaller, nicely shaped florets, then chop the rest. You should have about 4 cups chopped cauliflower.

To make the soup, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the leeks, celery, garlic,bay, and thyme, and sauté for a couple more minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the wine and simmer to stew the vegetables, until the leeks are soft and the wine has mostly evaporated. Add the reserved stock and the 4 cups of chopped cauliflower. Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is quite soft. Purée in a blender and return to the pot. Add the crème fraîche and the spinach; cook briefly until the spinach is just wilted. Add the pecorino, stirring to incorporate the cheese as it melts. Adjust the salt, then add the reserved cauliflower florets. Serve garnished with chives and additional grated pecorino.

Astrid and Gastón
Baco
Casa Lastarria
Da Noi (the photo at right is from Da Noi)
Divino Pecado (Viña del Mar)
H Terrado (Antofagasta)
Hyatt Regency
Kilometro 0
Le Bistrot
Le Flaubert
Le Founil
Macerado (Casablanca)
Mezzanotte
Santa Brasa
Squadrito

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